WASHINGTON — The Senate is poised to vote on Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill this week in an attempt to secure quick wins for President Donald Trump on border and energy policies. But it might be easier said than done.
The Senate unveiled its reconciliation package earlier this month to provide billions of dollars in funding for the border and national defense, which later sailed through the Senate Budget Committee during an hourslong markup last week. Days later, the House said it would move along with its own package, making it unclear if the upper chamber would still make its first move.
But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., answered those questions when the Senate returned on Tuesday, announcing plans to vote on the budget package this week.
“It’s time to act on the decisive mandate the American people gave to President Trump in November,” Thune said in a post on X. “Securing the border, rebuilding our defense, and unleashing American energy. That starts this week with passing (Budget Committee) Chairman Lindsey Graham’s budget.”
Those plans hit a slight speed bump on Wednesday morning, however, when Trump came out in favor of the competing House reconciliation package instead.
“The House Resolution implements my FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “We need both Chambers to pass the House Budget to ‘kickstart’ the Reconciliation process, and move all of our priorities to the concept of, ‘ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL.’ It will, without question, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The announcement took GOP senators by surprise, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., saying he did “not see that one coming.”
Despite House leaders taking a victory lap on Trump’s endorsement, the Senate still plans to move forward with its so-called “vote-a-rama” on Thursday night.
Democrats expected to use rare procedural tool to delay passage
By using the budget reconciliation process, Republicans only need a simple majority vote to advance the package, allowing them to circumvent a filibuster imposed by their Democratic colleagues.
There are certain rules that dictate how often reconciliation can be used, and the procedure can only be utilized to advance budget-related legislation such as taxes, spending, and the debt limit.
Although Republicans can easily surpass the 50-vote threshold needed to advance the package, there are a slew of procedures the Senate must complete before a final vote can be called.
First, the Senate must provide up to 50 hours of debate on the package before the floor can be opened to amendments. Lawmakers are permitted to introduce an unlimited number of amendments, with each one being granted a minute of debate divided by each side. Senators then have 10 minutes to vote on each amendment.
The process gives Democrats an opportunity to introduce dozens of amendments, all of which have little chance of being included but could force Republicans into an uncomfortable position to vote against certain proposals that could later be used against them.
For example, when Democrats pushed the Inflation Reduction Act through the Senate in 2022, Republicans forced a vote on an amendment to ban then-President Joe Biden’s expansion of the Internal Revenue Service. When Democrats voted those amendments down, Republicans were then able to use that as campaign fodder against vulnerable Democratic senators such as Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada.
A vote-a-rama is also designed to test lawmakers’ patience. Because senators can introduce an unlimited number of amendments, Democrats can hold up the process for hours.
For example, Republicans introduced nearly 40 amendments to the Inflation Reduction Act, causing the marathon voting session to last 16 hours. Because each vote lasts roughly 10 minutes, senators are inclined to stay on the Senate floor all night.
The Senate narrowly advanced the budget blueprint on Tuesday evening, starting the debate clock and teeing it up for a final vote later this week.
All for nothing? House says it will move forward with own plan
Even when all is said and done, the grueling effort may all be for naught.
Once the package makes it through the Senate, it must then be sent to the House for consideration. But Republican leaders in the lower chamber have a different idea for how to advance Trump’s agenda — and it’s with a completely separate bill.
The House Budget Committee advanced its own budget blueprint late last week, paving the way to combine Trump’s agenda items on border, defense, energy, and taxes in one massive spending package.
The House effort has taken weeks to finalize, and it still faces some hurdles before it can be brought to the floor for a vote. Because of Republicans’ slim majority, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can only afford to lose one GOP lawmaker’s support — giving him virtually no room for error.
That slim margin, paired with internal disagreements among House Republicans about what should be included in the package, is the very reason Senate leaders opted to push their “skinny” reconciliation package through first. Their strategy: Get the easy policy items out of the way first while they continue to hammer out details on tax cuts.
But even with the Senate moving forward on its own budget, House GOP leaders plan to vote on their massive package when the chamber returns from recess next week, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told the Deseret News.
“It’s time to act on ALL of the powerful mandates the American people gave to (Trump) in November: Securing the border, opening up American energy to lower costs, keeping tax rates low (including no tax on tips), strengthening our national defense, a two-year extension of the debt ceiling, and passing into law DOGE’s identified waste in government,” Scalise said in a post on X. “All of Trump’s priorities in one big, beautiful bill start moving when we pass (House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey) Arrington’s budget.”
In the meantime, House leaders will work to win over key holdouts to ensure its success next week, according to a GOP leadership source.
That could put GOP leaders on a collision course for how to move forward, leaving it to Trump to weigh in on which strategy he believes is best — something he has minced his words on to allow congressional lawmakers to hash it out themselves.